Charles e



(No Model.)

. C. E. LITTLE.

WIRE FENCE STAY.

No. 541,487.Q3 Papenrt d Ju'ne 25, 1895.

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UNITED STAT-ns PATENTl OFFICE.

CHARLES E. LITTLE, OF'MOUNT MORRIS, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF TWO-THIRDS TO HENRY M. COFFMAN AND JACOB H.

LONG, OF MARYLAND, ILLINOIS.

WIRE-FENCE STAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 541,487, dated June 25, .189*5.

Application li1ed l'a11uary 8,1895. Serial No. 534,254. (Nokmodel.)

.To o//ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, CHARLES E. LITTLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Morris, in the county of Ogle and State of Illinois, have invented a new and 4useful Wire Fence, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements'in fences.

Io The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of wire fences, .and to provide one of great strength and durability, which will be firmly supported, and in which the wires will be permitted to `expand and contract under varying temperature.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangementof parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed zo out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure l is aperspective view of a fence constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of one end of the same. Fig. 3 is 2 5 an enlarged detail perspective view of a portion of the stay, illustrating the construction of the joint between the links or sections thereof. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the disk for engaging the outer end of the 3o spiral spring of the compensating device.

Like numerals of reference indicate corre.

spending parts in all the figures ofthe drawings.

I and 2 designate fence posts t-o which are 3 5 connected a seriesof horizontal fence wires 3.V

The post 1 is provided with aseries of perfo,V

S for the reception of tension devices 9. Each tension device comprises a spiral spring 10 5o having its inner portion arranged in the metal, or othermaterial, and its inner portion fits in the socket around the spiral spring. 6o

The chains-may be drawn through the perforations of the post 1 to tighten the fence wires to the desired tension, and thespiral springs will permit the fence wires to expand and contract under varying temperatures,

without liabilityV of breaking.v

The wires of the fence are designed to be supported at intervals by stays 14, each consisting of a vertical series of links or sections 15, each constructed of a single piece of stout 7o wire, or similar material, doubled to form similar parallel sides 16, and a transverse upper end piece 1'7, connecting the upper terminals of the sides. The link or section is provided at the upper terminals of its sides at the angies formed by them and the cross-piece 17, with eyes 18, which receive the sides of the adjacent link or section; and the lower terminals of the sides are provided with eyes 19,

receiving the sides of the adjacent section. 8o

By this arrangement the sections, as clearly illustrated in Fig.l 3 of the accompanying drawings, are slidingly connected, and the fence Wires are received between the adj acent terminals of the sides of the sections or links, and are confined between the eyes of the lower terminals of one section or link and the upper eyes of the adjacent section or link. This firmly connects the-fence wires and braces them, and at the same time permits the fence 9o Wires to play back and forth incident to contracting or expanding, and to permit the vwires t0 be tightened to the desired tension.

It will be seen that the fence is exceedingly simple and comparatively inexpensive in con- 9 5 struction, that it possesses great strength and 4 durability, and that the fence wires may expand and contract without liability of breakage. hanges in the form, proportion, and the roo minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

What I claimV is- 1. In afence, the combination of fence posts, horizontal fence Wires, and a stay comprising a vertical series of links, each constructed of a single piece of metal bent to form similar parallel sides, and a connecting cross-piece at one end of the link, the sides being provided at their terminals with upper and lower eyes, said eyes receiving the sides of the adjacent link, and the fence Wires being confined between the sides of the adjacent links in the spaces between the upper eyes of one link and the lower eyes of the adjacent one, substantially as described.

2. A stay for Wire fences, comprising a vertical series of links, each constructed of a single piece of Wire bent t-o form parallel sides, and a cross-piece connecting the sides at one end of the link, the sides of theV link being provided at their ends with eyes 18 and 19, receiving the sides of the adjacent links, the eyes 18 of one link being contiguous to the eyes 19 of the adjacent link and forming a space between them for a fence wire and adapted to clamp the same, substantially as and for the purpose described. 7

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence ot two Witnesses.

CHARLES E. LITTLE. Witnesses:

JOHN SPRECHER, S. C. KINsEY. 

